Jordan discusses refugee response plan with donors, stakeholders

AMMAN — In a follow-up on the outcomes of UN General Assembly meetings and the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury held a periodic meeting with donor countries and UN organisations to discuss the progress in the 2015 Jordan Response Plan (JRP) concerning Syrian refugees.

A ministry statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Saturday said that the meeting, held at the British embassy in Amman, brought together representatives of UN organisations, Arab and foreign ambassadors, heads of international commissions and development agencies, in order to support their joint efforts through funding the projects listed in the JRP. 

During the meeting, held in coordination with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Edward Kallon and British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden, Fakhoury outlined the results of the UN General Assembly meeting held recently in New York, during which His Majesty King Abdullah highlighted the challenges Jordan faces.

Fakhoury referred to his participation in the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015 and the new UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the meeting co-chaired by Jordan and the EU on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting on the Syrian crisis.

On the sidelines of the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015, Fakhoury chaired an unofficial meeting on the Syrian crisis, leadership, gender equality and women’s empowerment. He said Jordan had not closed its borders in the face of Syrian refugees, who constitute around 20 per cent of the Kingdom’s population.

At the British embassy meeting in Amman, the planning minister said the world is going in three directions: a political one to find a solution to the Syrian crisis; a security one to deal with resulting terrorism; and a third that deals with the economic repercussions and ways to support host countries, which was the main topic of the periodic meeting.

The crisis is entering its fifth year and its consequences will be experienced for at least 10 years, Fakhoury said, noting that what happened in European countries sheds light once again on the importance of continued support for the countries that have given refuge to Syrian.

Fakhoury stressed there is an international agreement on the “urgent needs” to deal comprehensively with the crisis and its repercussions, highlighting the need for the international community to shoulder more responsibilities in that regard, especially since winter is approaching and there will be more challenges to deal with.

On the commitments to the 2015 JRP, they amount to $1.3 billion, or 35 per cent of the total appeal ($2.99 billion), according to the statement, which added that the plan has 222 projects for 2015, 62 are still on the drawing board and the rest are under implementation, at a total cost of $543 million.

Fakhoury said the first draft of the 2016-2018 JRP will be ready this month and it will be distributed to partners for feedback.

The minister thanked the Norwegian government for offering to host an urgent conference for donors on the Syrian crisis to raise extra funds on behalf of the EU and in coordination with Germany.

Fakhoury pointed out the next annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Lima, Peru to discuss facilitating funding channels to middle-income countries, while he referred also to a forum to discuss the same issue to be hosted by Jordan on November 9.